


The Reaper and the Espada Kid

by Vanitas_Repliku_26



Category: Bleach
Genre: I did like 8 years ago, I didn't list all the characters cause I don't remember ahahah, M/M, so it's pretty bad, this is like an old old old fic, this was like on my Bleach kick ages ago
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 19:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17966678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanitas_Repliku_26/pseuds/Vanitas_Repliku_26
Summary: Szayel asks Grimmjow to try a new experiment. Reluctantly, Grimmjow agrees, but it turns him into a five-year-old! Szayel dumps the kidified Grimmjow in the human world and Ichigo finds him. What could happen? Boy love, don't like don't read. Grimmichi





	1. Experiment Gone Wrong

Szayel stared at the green liquid that was in the beaker he held before he cautiously poured a small drop of black liquid into the container and swirled it around as he watched the liquid turn an interesting gold color. Smilingly slightly, he walked over to a small Hollow that looked like a newt and used a tiny syringe to squirt some of the liquid into the struggling newt Hollow's gaping mouth and waited, watching the beast closely as he waited for a reaction.

The Hollow merely stuck out its tongue as it tried to get the bad taste out of its mouth before it continued trying to free itself from its bonds.

Szayel grinned as he straightened, pushing his glasses up slightly.

"Good. It's successful. Now, I just need another test subject…"

"Yo, Szayel!"

Szayel glanced toward his lab door as it opened to reveal a very pissed off Grimmjow (He probably got in another fight with Ulquiorra).

Szayel smirked as Grimmjow furiously strode toward him.

"Hey, Grimmjow…"

Grimmjow stopped when he noticed the look in Szayel's eyes, recognized the look, and immediately turned around, deciding that he did not want to get caught up in another one of Szayel's crazy experiments.

"Whoa, whoa, hey." Szayel trotted toward Grimmjow and put an arm around the Sexta Espada's shoulder as he held the beaker in his left hand. "Why such a hurry to leave? Didn't you come to visit me….?"

"Yeah, until I saw that 'I-have-an-experiment-and-I-need-a-test-subject' look." Grimmjow scowled at Szayel, but didn't shrug off the scientist's arm. "And I don't want to be your guinea pig."

"What makes you think that all my experiments are bad?"

"The last one turned Ulquiorra into a duck." Grimmjow reminded, giving the scientist a blank look.

"Yes, well, I forgot a crucial ingredient…" Szayel glanced away from Grimmjow's gaze almost innocently.

"He was like that for a _week_!"

"But this time it works!" Szayel protested, looking at Grimmjow pleadingly. "It won't hurt Hollows or Arrancars, I promise!"

Grimmjow stared at the Octavo Espada suspiciously, before he asked, "What does it do?"

"It weakens our enemy so they can't use their Zanpakuto! It's versatile, so it can be used in powder or liquid form!"

Grimmjow stared at the beaker that Szayel held skeptically.

"How do you know it does that?"

"Because I know." Szayel grinned as he took a step away from Grimmjow and held out the beaker. "So…try it?"

Grimmjow scratched the side of his jaw where his broken mask was before he reluctantly took the container and stared at it.

"And you're sure this won't hurt me or anything?" Grimmjow asked as he looked at Szayel.

"Yeah. I first tested it on a Hollow that I found skittering around here. Hollow's perfectly fine." Szayel rubbed the side of his neck. "Though I guess he didn't like the taste…."

Tentatively, the teal-haired Espada sniffed the liquid before he dipped his tongue in it only to recoil with a look of disgust.

"Yuck. It tastes like shit."

"Drink it."

"I am not drinking this." Grimmjow held out the beaker to Szayel. "I tasted it so that should be enough."

"Well, if you don't comply, I might just have to tell Master Aizen about that party you went to a month back." Szayel turned his back to Grimmjow as he idly rubbed his right hand fingers together before he smiled connivingly as he glanced at the Sexta Espada out of the corner of his eye. "And why Ulquiorra was limping the next day…"

Grimmjow's eyes widened slightly before he narrowed them dangerously.

"You wouldn't."

"I've got pictures~" Szayel sang as he waved a phone in front of Grimmjow's face. "And tomorrow they may be up on the walls…"

Grimmjow growled as he bared his teeth.

"Sneaky blackmailing bastard…"

"Uh-uh." Szayel continued waving his evidence. "You will have a pleasant attitude when you drink it or these pictures will be posted before you could say 'uncle'."

Grimmjow scowled in defeat, knowing when he was beaten, before he stared at the gold liquid and sighed.

_Do or die._ He thought. _Hopefully it's not the latter…_

Szayel watched as the Espada quickly downed the bad-tasting drink before grumpily handing it to the scientist.

"There. Now delete those pictures."

"A deal's a deal." Szayel said as he put the beaker on a nearby table before fiddling with his phone as he deleted the pictures; he kept the one of the drunk and naked Grimmjow, however.

"Now can I get something to get this bad taste out of my mouth?" Grimmjow whined as he scratched his tongue in an attempt to get the horrible taste off his taste buds.

"Here." Szayel absently handed a small chocolate chip cookie to the Sexta as he wrote down something on the clipboard he held, occasionally glancing at Grimmjow as if waiting for something to happen.

Confusedly, the teal-haired Arrancar took the offered cookie and stared at it.

"You keep cookies in your pocket?"

"Yeah. Yammy likes them and it helps when it's time for his physical." Szayel idly tapped Grimmjow's arm, shoulder, and chest with the end of his pen before he resumed writing. "And cookies are good. What's wrong with them?"

"Nothing." Grimmjow took a bite of the cookie, making sure it wasn't another of the scientist's experiments, before he quickly devoured it when he was sure it was safe. "So what are you writing down?"

"Any changes. So far there are none. Feel any side effects?" Szayel looked at Grimmjow critically. "Chills, nausea, dizziness?"

"No. I feel the same." Grimmjow shrugged.

"Cool. It worked then." Szayel walked toward his desk and sat down. "You can leave now."

Grimmjow frowned, annoyed at the sudden coldness, before he decided he didn't care.

"Dinner's in an hour. Aizen wants to see you there."

"I'll be there." Szayel waved at the Arrancar, not stopping in whatever he was doing. "Aizen doesn't have to worry."

Grimmjow scoffed as he rolled his eyes before he walked out of Szayel's lab, choosing not to stay there any longer than need be, and closed the door behind him.

Ulquiorra was walking past Szayel's lab just as Grimmjow walked out of the room.

"Hello, Grimmjow."

"I'm in a bad mood." Grimmjow growled as he stormed past the Cuarto Espada.

"….Good to know." Ulquiorra replied as he watched Grimmjow go before he continued toward his room.

* * *

Dinner was not a quiet event. Aizen sat at the head of the table while five Arrancar sat on one side and the other five sat on the opposite side.

Yammy was arguing with Haroniero over a piece of meat while Szayel muttered to himself, writing on the clipboard he held while sneaking glances at Grimmjow. Stark talked to Aizen about when they would next leave Las Noches and Hueco Mundo while Baraggan ignored them and decided to sing to himself. Ulquiorra and Nnoitora seemed to be having an interesting conversation that occasionally made Grimmjow growl and bristle as he glared briefly at them. Halibel and Zommari seemed perfectly fine with ignoring everyone as they stayed in their own little world.

Grimmjow eventually gave up and ignored Ulquiorra and Nnoitora as he rubbed his temples when he felt a small headache; he couldn't tell if it was from the other loud Espada or something else. A few seconds later, he had a hot flash; it was very fast, but it was still strong enough to leave the Sexta Espada dizzy. Thinking he was merely too hot, Grimmjow decided that he wanted a cold shower to cool himself down, the blue-haired Arrancar stood up and asked Aizen if he could be excused which surprised everyone.

Aizen allowed the excuse and watched Grimmjow walk out of the expansive dining room.

Szayel also watched before rapidly writing something down on his magic clipboard then stood up, excusing himself as well, and headed toward his lab to start a new experiment.

* * *

Once Grimmjow had finished his cold shower, he felt substationally better. He was exhausted, however, so he decided that he would just go to bed for the night.

* * *

Szayel hummed as he wrote down ingredients for another experiment that he was about to start, never even noticing that his little newt Hollow that was strapped to a table had shrunken slightly and turned into an almost child-like version of its other self.

The Hollow slipped out of the confines and jumped to the floor, wiggling its tail happily, before skittering out of the lab and toward its freedom.

Szayel briefly stopped in his work before he shrugged and continued working, deciding that it had just been his imagination.


	2. Chibi Espada

Szayel yawned as he rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses before he continued working on the new experiment he had started; he had already recreated his other experiment and was now creating a new serum that could possibly get the Shinigami off their backs.

_Aizen will be so proud of me._ Szayel thought with a giggle as he grinned at nothing in particular while imagining Aizen bowing before him praising him for his wonderful experiments and giving up his position to the pink-haired scientist. Szayel got so into his fantasy that he started bowing to an invisible audience and talking to himself.

"As my first order as supreme overlord of the Espada, I hereby banish both Ulquiorra and that bastard Grimmjow. Yes, yes, I am a great leader…"

Szayel stopped with a low questioning groan when he heard the door to his lab open.

"Who is it-"

Szayel looked toward the door only to see that no one was at the threshold. Confused, he walked toward the door and peered out into the hallway, thinking Grimmjow or Yammy were playing a prank on him, before he stepped back into his lab and slowly closed the door.

"That was weird."

Szayel walked back to his desk and continued working, deciding that his mind was playing tricks on him since he was tired. Szayel froze when he heard a quiet laugh and the pattering of footsteps. Rapidly, the scientist glanced around, starting to think that maybe his lab was haunted; which wasn't possible as Szayel had always been in his lab past three in the morning and he had never heard any noises like footsteps or laughs before.

_Maybe I should go to bed._ Szayel decided as he began to pack up his chemicals so no stupid Arrancar would play with them or mess them up. _A nice hot bath before turning in might also be in order…_

Something grabbed Szayel's left leg and the scientist squeaked, jumping as he quickly looked around for the perpetrator.

There was no one in his lab, but Szayel still felt something tugging on his pant leg so he looked down to see a small five-year-old experimentally pulling on his white jeans.

Szayel crouched down and the child stopped to stare at him with large green eyes. Just to make sure it wasn't a ghost, Szayel touched the boy.

_Okay, so it's not my imagination…._ Szayel thought with a relieved sigh before he noticed something on the child's right jaw. _Only Grimmjow had a mask like that…_

"Grimmjow….is that you?"

The blue-haired boy cocked his head to the side before he laughed and repeated, "Grimmjow, Grimmjow," as he clapped his hands.

Szayel squeaked in fear as he hopped to his feet.

"How did this happen? Oh, no. This isn't good. If Aizen finds out what happened to Grimmjow and realizes that it was me…"

Szayel panicked and began to pace as he tried to figure out a plan while Grimmjow watched him and laughed at his panic attack.

"You have to be quiet!" Szayel growled as he knelt in front of the child Grimmjow. "I can't let the others hear or see you!" The scientist buried his face in his hands as he moaned, "….I am so dead."

"Szayel." A voice said as someone knocked on the scientist's closed door and Szayel instantly perked up while Grimmjow glanced toward the door. "Szayel, Yammy and I would like to have a word with you."

"What are they doing up this late…?" Szayel muttered to himself before he said, "Hang on!"

Quickly, Szayel picked up Grimmjow and put him in a nearby cabinet, shutting the door tightly, before he went to the lab door and open it to reveal Ulquiorra and Yammy.

"Um, yes?" Szayel smiled nervously as he tired to appear calm.

"Tell him it's my turn with the remote." Yammy growled as he pushed Ulquiorra slightly, the Cuarto Espada giving a mild glare before returning his attention back to Szayel.

"It is my turn and Yammy very well knows that." Ulquiorra replied coolly.

"Um, Yammy, you have the remote." Szayel said quickly, trying to end the childish dispute before something happened. "Now, if you'll excuse me…."

Before the scientist could shut his door, there was a squeal from the nearby cabinet and it rattled slightly making Szayel bristle in alarm.

"What was that?" Ulquiorra asked, looking toward the cabinet.

"What was what? I heard nothing….there's no kid in here!"

Yammy and Ulquiorra stared at the frightened Szayel before they quietly left as they talked amongst themselves.

Szayel watched them disappear down a hallway before he shut his door and slid to the ground with a sigh.

"That was a close one…"

Quickly, Szayel leaped over to the cabinet and opened the doors only to give a strangled scream when he saw that it was empty.

"He's gone!"

Szayel glanced down when someone tugged on his pant leg and saw a cute Grimmjow staring up at him with a smile.

"Oh, there you are, Grimmjow." Szayel crouched down, trying not to scare the small Espada. "I was scared. You shouldn't do that."

Grimmjow appeared abashed, understanding that what he had done was wrong, and he averted his eyes as he mumbled, "Sorry."

Szayel had to resist calling Grimmjow cute because Grimmjow was not cute, even in child form; he was still an Espada after all.

"All right, Grimm, how about we play a little game?"

The blue-haired Arrancar perked up instantly and looked at Szayel expectantly.

"A game…?" He asked childishly. "What kind of game?'

"A….staying game. To see how long you can sit still."

Grimmjow bounced eagerly. "Who's it?"

"You are. Let me take you to a very special place where we'll begin our game…." Szayel picked up Grimmjow, who began trying to grab his glasses, and opened up a hole that would lead the two to Karakura Town, in the human world.

* * *

Szayel glanced around cautiously as he came out from behind a tree that sat near a hill in an empty park, forgetting that he was invisible to humans, before he walked out into the open and set Grimmjow on the grass.

"Now, I want you to stay here." Szayel made a small circle with his foot in the grass. "And don't leave this circle or you lose."

Grimmjow nodded eagerly as he crossed his legs and stayed still.

"I'll be back in a few." Szayel summoned another wormhole and stepped through it without another glance behind him.

Grimmjow waited patiently, occasionally glancing around him in awe, but never moved from his spot.

There was a low rumble and the small Arrancar looked up at the dark clouds above him just as a raindrop fell on his nose before it suddenly began to pour down heavily.

Surprised, Grimmjow gazed at the raindrops before he gave a low growl in annoyance at the rain; he still didn't move, however, even though the rain was freezing and he was already getting cold since his clothes were so thin.

A loud clap of thunder was heard before a flash of lightning followed, frightening Grimmjow, who stood up and was about to go find a safe spot when he stopped, staring at the flattened grass around him, and reluctantly sat down as he remembered the game he was playing.

Laying on his stomach, Grimmjow curled in on himself like a cat about to take a nap and buried his face in his crossed arms for a few seconds before he glanced up again and searched for Szayel. Once he had looked around, the teal-haired Espada once again put his face in his arms as he decided to wait for the pink-haired scientist to come pick him up.


	3. Espadas Are Not Allowed

Ichigo had been walking home after parting ways with Orihime, Uryu, Chad, and Rukia (Who had apparently found a cheap apartment thanks to Kisuke so that she wasn't staying at Ichigo's house) when it had begun to rain.

Ichigo looked up at the cloudburst and scowled, wondering why it had to rain at that exact moment, and used his backpack as a shield so that he wouldn't get wet as he continued on his way home.

There was suddenly a strong spirit sensation, but Ichigo could tell that it wasn't a Hollow; if it had been, Rukia would have already been by his side with Kon.

 _It's not a Shinigami…._ Ichigo thought as he looked toward the source. _An Espada maybe?_

Ichigo knew it was dangerous for him to go toward the source of the strong spiritual energy when he couldn't change to his Shinigami uniform and didn't have his Zanpakuto, but he did anyway because he was curious as to why an Espada would be Karakura Town.

* * *

 _It's coming from here…._ Ichigo thought as he entered an empty park and headed toward the center of it.

As he climbed up the small hill, the orange-haired boy paused instantly when he saw a small form curled up on the grass. It wasn't the fact that some kid was laying out in the rain, it was the fact that Ichigo recognized the clothes and hair.

"G-Grimmjow….?"

Gradually, the tiny Arrancar glanced up and stared at Ichigo. Grimmjow was trembling from cold, his shoulders shaking with the movement, and his hair was flat against his head showing that the young Espada had probably been out in the rain for a good two hours.

"What are you doing…." Ichigo started before he decided to get right to the point. "What happened to you, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow continued staring silently at Ichigo as he shivered violently before he looked toward the dark clouds.

Slowly, Ichigo went closer to Grimmjow, holding his backpack tighter in case he had to use it, and crouched before the Espada.

"Why don't you go back to Hueco Mundo? I mean…." Ichigo looked at Grimmjow's body as he wondered how the Arrancar had gotten to be that way. "How did you become like this?"

Grimmjow shrugged, not looking away from the sky.

"What are you waiting for?"

"The pink-haired man."

 _Pink hair…._ Ichigo thought as he thought about who Grimmjow was talking about.

"Oh! You mean Szayel? Well, why don't you go get him?"

"Can't leave."

"Huh?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow; this was becoming really strange. "Why not?"

"I'll lose."

"Lose…what?"

Grimmjow looked down. "The circle."

Ichigo looked down and noticed the flattened grass around the Arrancar, immediately understanding what the Espada meant.

 _That bastard…_ Ichigo thought. _Szayel's not really coming back for him. I bet he has something to do with it._

"How about this." Ichigo stood up and rubbed out the circle that was around Grimmjow. "Now the whole city is the circle, so you won't lose."

Grimmjow stood up, looking around him curiously, before he smiled.

"So, um, Grimmjow, why don't you come with me?" Ichigo looked away, still feeling awkward about talking so casually with his enemy, but he knew that Grimmjow was helpless in the form he was in. "I can get you out of this rain."

There was a small sneeze from the young Grimmjow and Ichigo thought for a second that he wasn't going to accept the offer when a small hand held onto two of his fingers, forcing Ichigo to look down to see that Grimmjow was holding onto his hand with a child-like smile on his face.

Ichigo's eye twitched as he wondered how a vicious Arrancar such as Grimmjow could look so cute before he began to lead the blue-haired boy out of the park.

"Come on. Let's go to hat-and-clogs to see if he'll give you a temporary Gigai. Then I'll have to explain to my family why you'll be staying with me for a while…."

* * *

Tessai stared at the soaking wet Ichigo and Grimmjow blankly; Ichigo couldn't tell if Tessai could see Grimmjow, but he just assumed that he could.

"Is hat-and-clogs here?" Ichigo asked as Grimmjow slightly hid behind the carrot top's leg, obviously scared of the large man.

Tessai nodded and moved aside, allowing the two inside before he left to get the two towels.

"Is that Ichigo?" Kisuke asked as he came out of the back of the shop and smiled when he saw Ichigo. "It is! So what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

"Um, well, I was walking home in the rain when I came across something…interesting."

"Interesting?" Kisuke repeated as he raised an eyebrow while waving his closed fan back and forth. "How?"

Ichigo glanced down as he muttered, "Come on out. It's okay."

It was still strange talking to his enemy but Ichigo was starting to get attached to the small Grimmjow.

The teal-haired Arrancar looked at Ichigo for assurance before he hesitantly stepped around the teenager so that he was standing in front of him.

When Kisuke saw Grimmjow, his eyes widened and he immediately stopped back, putting his arms in an X shape as a buzzer sounded.

"No. No. No no no no no. No."

"Kisuke…."

"Espada are not allowed." Kisuke pointed his fan at the small Grimmjow, who once again hid behind Ichigo, clinging to his leg. "Get that thing out of here."

"He's harmless!"

"He's an Arrancar!"

"Look, Kisuke, he doesn't have his Zanpakuto, he has amnesia to some extent, and he's a kid. What do you think he can do?"

Grimmjow buried his face in the back of Ichigo's leg with a low whine. "Ichi-nii-san…."

Ichigo glanced down at Grimmjow, but it was a bit difficult since the blue-haired Arrancar was almost all the way behind him.

"What is it, Grimmjow?"

"I don't feel good…."

"Come on, Kisuke." Ichigo said, looking back at Kisuke as Tessai handed him two towels. "Don't you have a Gigai we can borrow?"

Kisuke watched the two quietly as Ichigo dried his hair before crouching down and doing the same to Grimmjow.

 _What's he see in that Espada?_ Kisuke wondered as Ichigo stood back up and gave the towels back to Tessai. _Grimmjow's always tried to kill him. Now he's somehow a kid and Ichigo's all gushy over him._

"Well, Kisuke?"

Kisuke sighed, looking briefly at Grimmjow. He really did look helpless. The shop keeper decided that he would probably regret his decision.

"Yes, I have one. Let me grab it."

"Thanks, Kisuke."

Kisuke sighed again as he headed to the back of the shop and grabbed the Gigai from the shelf before he walked back to Grimmjow and Ichigo.

"I have to warn you that's an old version. It won't fully change his appearance even when it makes him visible to humans."

"As long as it works." Ichigo said as Kisuke handed him the Gigai before he crouched in front of Grimmjow. "Hey, Grimmjow, we're just gonna give you this Gigai while you stay."

"Whoa, you're keeping him at your house?" Kisuke asked.

"What's wrong with that?" Ichigo looked at Kisuke over his shoulder while Grimmjow curiously looked at the Gigai.

"You're letting your enemy invade your inner sanctum!"

Ichigo shook his head as he rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Grimmjow. "No, not that way. Here, let me help you…"

Grimmjow stared down at his new 'form', noticing that he was wearing blue jean shorts and a sleeveless black shirt with a white panther on the front.

"Wow, you can't even tell he's an Espada." Ichigo noted as he stood up. "If it wasn't for his mask he'd look completely human."

"Yes, well, I can't do anything about that." Kisuke said as he watched Grimmjow curiously pull at his shirt and even lift it up slightly to stare at his Hollow hole. "You're just gonna have to find an excuse for people how ask."

"I'll probably have to explain to my family why he's going to be staying with us for a while…" Ichigo said as he took Grimmjow's hand. "Thanks for your help, Kisuke."

"Yeah, sure." Kisuke waved as he watched the two walk out of his shop; it was not raining anymore much to Ichigo's relief.

"Are you concerned for them?" Tessai inquired as Ururu and Jinta poked their heads into the room.

"I am concerned for Grimmjow mostly." Kisuke replied as he naturally shielded half his face with his fan. "If he is somehow able to return back to his normal age….will he remember any of this?"

"I'm sure he will." Tessai said with a small smile.

Kisuke nodded a little. "Let's hope you are right."


	4. A New Member of the Family

"My family's a little weird." Ichigo explained as he walked toward his house, still holding onto Grimmjow's hand so he wouldn't lose him. "My dad mostly. He'll try to drop kick me every time I enter the house. Karin is okay; she's almost like the mother of the house sometimes, but can be very cynical and doesn't believe in ghosts even though she can see them as well as I can. Yuzu is the youngest and Karin's fraternal twin. Yuzu is like the person we always have to look out for but we never really hate doing it. Our family is our family…"

Grimmjow stared up at Ichigo with a small smile, even though Ichigo understood he probably didn't he know what the orange-haired boy was talking about. But still, Ichigo couldn't help but ask.

"Did you have a family, Grimmjow? I mean, before you were turned Hollow?"

Grimmjow cocked his head to the side and Ichigo sighed.

"Yeah, I forgot. You probably wouldn't remember in this form. Maybe someday you'll tell me what you were like as a human."

"You're funny." Grimmjow finally spoke up with a grin as he giggled.

"Oh, yeah?" Ichigo asked with a grin, deciding to play along. "Well, you got funny-looking hair."

"You have a funny-looking face."

Ichigo scowled, unsure of how to counter that, before he laughed.

"You're okay as a kid, Grimm. If you weren't so hostile when you're older we probably could've become friends."

Grimmjow just smiled obliviously as Ichigo walked into the Kurosaki clinic and toward the back where their house was.

"Take off your shoes at the door, Grimmjow." Ichigo said as he slipped off his shoes, the young Espada quickly following suit. "Good job. Hey, dad! Karin, Yuzu, I'm home!"

"Hyah!" Isshin instantly tried to slam the side of his hand into Ichigo's head, but the boy quickly caught it between two hands as he glared at his father.

"Dad, seriously? !"

"You are getting better, grasshopper." Isshin smirked as he imitated a wise old man's voice before he looked down and noticed Grimmjow who was partially staring at him from his half hidden position behind Ichigo and a small thought flitted through his mind.

_Espada._

"So, who's the kid?" Isshin gave a grin, trying to act like nothing was wrong.

"Um, can we get Karin and Yuzu? I want to make sure you're all here for what I'm about to say."

Isshin childishly tilted his head to the side.

* * *

Isshin, Karin, and Yuzu sat at the table while Ichigo stood before them, holding onto Grimmjow's shoulders while the young Espada pressed his back against the Shinigami's legs in an attempt to find a hiding place; Yuzu held onto Kon, who was dressed up once again in a frilly dress, the stuffed toy staring at Ichigo pleadingly while also trying to keep up his 'I'm-a-stuffed-toy' façade.

Ichigo ignored Kon's silent pleas as he sighed. "Guys, this is Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. He'll be staying with us for a while until his….family can come pick him up."

"Who's kid is he?" Karin asked, always the questioning one.

"Um….a friend's brother's….younger cousin." Ichigo went over that in his head, wondering if it sounded right.

"Why can't they take care of him?"

"They're out of town, so my friend was stuck with him, but he's also going out of town, so he asked me to look after him until they return." Ichigo looked down at Grimmjow as he muttered, "Go on, say hi." as he pushed Grimmjow away from him and toward his family.

That didn't seem to help as Grimmjow trembled slightly before hiding behind Ichigo once more. A few seconds later, though, he poked his head around Ichigo's leg and gave a meek 'hi' before disappearing once again.

Yuzu apparently thought that the Espada's shyness was adorable as she gave an "Aw, that's so cute!" while Karin rolled her eyes, muttering to herself, "What kind of name is Jaegerjaquez?" and Isshin merely nodded, apparently neither accepting nor denying the fact that Grimmjow would be staying with them.

 _An Espada._ Isshin thought as he watched Grimmjow pull on Ichigo's jeans to get his attention. _This will be very interesting…_

"What is it, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow gave a pathetic look as he murmured, "I don't feel good…"

 _He also said that in Kisuke's shop…._ Ichigo thought as he crouched down and put a hand against the teal-haired boy's forehead. "Hm, I think you got a fever from being in that rain too long."

"I heard fever." Isshin said as he instantly hopped to his feet. "Who's sick?"

"I can handle it, dad." Ichigo said as he went to get a thermometer while Grimmjow merely plopped down on the floor while Karin and Yuzu surrounded him. "It's just a fever."

"Wow, his hair is so cute!" Yuzu said as she petted Grimmjow's hair while Karin looked critically at the mask on the boy's jaw. "Soft like a cat's."

"What's this thing on his jaw?" Karin asked, touching the mask while Grimmjow closed his eyes in pleasure as Yuzu continued petting him; the mask felt like bone.

While Yuzu was distracted playing with their new member of the family ("Hey, he's purring!"), Kon managed to sneak away and hid inside Ichigo's room where he knew he'd be safe.

"Guys, get away from him." Ichigo scolded as he shooed his sisters away from Grimmjow, who seemed a little disappointed that they were leaving. "You'll get sick too."

Karin and Yuzu reluctantly walked away from Ichigo and Grimmjow as their brother put the thermometer in the Espada's mouth to take his temperature.

"It's higher than I thought." Ichigo muttered as he looked at the thermometer while Grimmjow decided to curl up on the floor where it was cool.

"What is it?" Isshin asked, always the first one to worry.

"About 102."

"Oh my god, he's dying!"

"He's not dying, dad." Ichigo sighed as he picked up Grimmjow and carried him toward the bathroom. "I'm gonna give him a cold bath."

"Should I make something for him?" Yuzu asked, always willing to help.

"Can you make a small bowl of soup?" Ichigo asked as he shut the door to the bathroom. "I don't think it matters to Grimmjow what you make."

"Sure!" Yuzu replied as Ichigo set the blue-haired Espada on the ground.

"All right, Grimmjow, can you get out of your clothes while I get the bath ready?"

Grimmjow stared down at his clothes before he took off his shirt and shorts, but refused to take off his cute black boxers which were low enough that Ichigo could see more than half of the Sexta's Hollow hole.

"You also have to take off your boxers." Ichigo said as he turned off the water once the bathtub was filled.

Grimmjow looked down at his boxers before looking at Ichigo and the teen understood why he wasn't going any further.

 _At least this Grimmjow's modest…_ Ichigo thought as he turned his back on the Espada so the child could take off his boxers; Ichigo was certain that if Grimmjow were his normal age, he would have no problem taking off his clothes and were merely taunt Ichigo for being a pussy or something. _Ugh, why am I thinking about that?_ Ichigo scowled. _Creepy._

"Ichi-nii-san…."

Ichigo looked at Grimmjow, who was staring at the bathtub apprehensively. "What is it, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow looked at Ichigo fearfully.

"Are you afraid of the bathtub?"

Grimmjow once again looked at the bathtub and Ichigo sighed; he was starting to think that he'd rather watch the vicious, destructive Arrancar than this weird, OOC kiddy version of him.

 _Guess I'll have to coax him in._ The teen thought as he took off his clothes and stepped into the bathtub first before he grabbed Grimmjow and gently set him in the water so as not to scare him.

"See? The bathtub won't hurt you."

Grimmjow warily looked around, not moving from his position from between Ichigo's legs before he slowly waded forward and began to explore the tub.

Ichigo watched him, glad that his fear over the bathtub had gone away, and relaxed, not realizing that he had also wanted a bath to ease away his weariness.

Grimmjow settled down near the center of the tub and submerged himself until half his face was in the water and began to blow little bubbles, watching them with interest, before he looked toward Ichigo to see that his 'brother's' eyes were closed but it was obvious that he wasn't asleep.

A nasty thought came into the young Espada's mind and he ducked under the water and began heading toward the relaxing Ichigo.

It was a little too quiet for Ichigo, who opened his eyes, and looked around for Grimmjow only to notice that the blue-haired Arrancar wasn't in the tub. Panicking, he began to look around, wondering where Grimmjow could have headed in such a short amount of time before he stopped when something latched onto arm with a small cry.

"I got you, Ichi-nii-san!" Grimmjow laughed as he put his face against Ichigo's arm before looking up at the orange-haired teen.

The shock was apparently still evident on Ichigo's face as he stared at the Espada and soon Grimmjow frowned slightly.

"…Ichi-nii-san?" He asked, fearing he had done something wrong again as he let go of Ichigo's arm.

Ichigo was snapped out of his trance and he sighed as he looked at Grimmjow fully. "Don't do that, Grimmjow. You really scared me; I thought you drowned."

Grimmjow pouted slightly, but his eyes were teary as he understood that he had done something wrong. Again.

"No, don't cry. It's not a bad thing. I'm not mad at you." Ichigo tried to console the Espada, who looked like he was about to burst into tears any moment. "I was just surprised, that's all."

"So…." Grimmjow sniffled. "I'm not in trouble?"

"No, of course not. Just don't do that again, all right?"

Grimmjow seemed to perk up at that, glad that he wasn't in trouble and Ichigo wasn't angry with him, and replied, "Okay!"

Ichigo briefly looked down at Grimmjow's Hollow hole, which was only partially covered by the water and wondered if the fact that water was flowing through it bothered Grimmjow, but he soon brushed it off and smiled at the young Espada.

"Come on, let's get dressed and get you something to eat."

* * *

After the duo had gotten dressed (It had taken a while since Grimmjow wouldn't hold still long enough for Ichigo to try and dry his hair and Isshin and Ichigo's sisters knew that since they could hear the yells of "Hold still!" and "Stop squirming, Grimmjow!" coming from the bathroom) they went into the kitchen and Ichigo heated up the small bowl of chicken soup that Yuzu had made for Grimmjow while he made himself a turkey sandwich; he had to keep it away from Grimmjow, who apparently wanted it, and told him that he could have one tomorrow if he was feeling better.

After that, Ichigo gave Grimmjow some medicine to help with the fever before leading him to the guest bedroom and setting him in bed for the night; Isshin let Grimmjow borrow some of Ichigo's clothes from when he was five with Ichigo thinking he was weird for keeping clothes for that long but he was glad that they at least fit the Arrancar. Once that was finished, Ichigo went to his bedroom and decided to finish his homework before he also turned in for the night.

* * *

"Are you seriously gonna keep him here?"

Ichigo sighed, his concentration on a certain hard math problem broken thanks to Kon.

"What do you mean?" He asked, still trying to find the right answer as he didn't look at Kon.

"He's an Arrancar, part of the Espada and one of Aizen's ten strongest. Are you sure this is such a good idea?"

"He's a kid, Kon. He has no sword and he doesn't remember Aizen. What, did you just want me to leave him as Hollow food or become a prisoner of the Soul Society?"

"I would've done that."

"Well, I didn't." Ichigo sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he decided to give up on the problem and turned to face Kon who was sitting on his bed. "Grimmjow may be a bad guy, but in this form he can't protect himself. I may have sensed his soul wavelength, but I'm sure that others couldn't and if they did, they probably wouldn't recognize it."

"Why didn't you just dump him in Hueco Mundo at Aizen's doorstep? That would've been easier."

"Well, that's the problem. I think that Aizen doesn't know what's happened to Grimmjow."

"What do you mean?"

"When I found him, Grimmjow was waiting for Szayel. He had a circle drawn in the grass around him and he couldn't leave it or he'd lose."

"So it was…a game?" Kon asked unsurely, cocking his head slightly.

"That's what Szayel made it out to be. I'm sure he's somehow tied in with this. He probably either accidentally or on purpose turned Grimmjow into a child and then dumped him here to save his own hide." Ichigo stood up and set about grabbing his pajamas so he could go to bed. "Grimmjow doesn't understand that. He thought Szayel would come to get him."

"What if he suddenly changes back to his normal age and realizes where he is and tries to kill your family?"

"Then I'll take responsibility and stop him. Until then, I'm gonna take care of him."

"This is a bad idea, Ichigo…" Kon muttered as the orange-haired teen turned off the light. "What will Rukia think?"

* * *

Grimmjow didn't like his bedroom. It was too big and quiet and dark. It also felt strange being without Ichigo. So Grimmjow climbed out of bed, quietly dropping to the floor, and opened his closed bedroom door before walking out into the hallway and heading toward Ichigo's room. Opening the door, he looked in to see Ichigo asleep in his bed and trotted toward the teen before pulling on his arm.

"Ichi-nii-san. Ichi-nii-san…"

Ichigo only rolled over so that his back was facing the Espada and continued sleeping.

Grimmjow pouted before he climbed onto the bed and over Ichigo, who grunted softly as the Arrancar clambered over the side of his stomach, and slipped under the covers before snuggling closer to Ichigo's chest as he closed his eyes with a content sigh, burying his face in the teen's soft shirt, before eventually falling asleep.


	5. We Are Not Amused

Ichigo woke up when he felt an extra warmth against his chest. At first he thought it was Yuzu or Karin (Who had a habit of climbing into bed with him if they had a nightmare or it was storming outside) but upon glancing down he saw that it was Grimmjow comfortably snuggled against him.

He thought maybe he should be more surprised or even freaked out that his enemy was sleeping next to him, but he was too tired to panic.

 _I don't wanna get up…_ The teen thought as he unconsciously snuggled closer to Grimmjow as he closed his eyes again; he really just wanted to sleep all day since it was a weekend.

There was sudden loud banging on the front door and a familiar gruff voice growled, "Get out here, Ichigo! We know you're home!"

"C-calm down, Renji…" A hesitant voice said.

"I agree." A third voice said. "Save your energy."

Ichigo opened his eyes slightly in annoyance.

_What are they doing here?_

"Git your ass out here or I'm bustin' the door down!"

Ichigo growled, wondering why his idiot father or one of his sisters was not answering the door, and reluctantly got out of bed.

Grimmjow shivered slightly when the teen's warmth left him, giving a low whine and grabbed onto the nearest thing which happened to be Kon.

"Ichigo….!" Kon whispered fiercely as he tried to get out of the Espada's grasp. "Ichigo…!"

Ichigo ignored him as he lazily scratched his stomach while heading to the door. He opened it to see Renji, Orihime, Uryu, Chad, and Rukia standing outside.

"What do you guys want?" He asked, his voice coming out harsher than intended.

"Where is he?" Renji asked as he pushed past Ichigo.

"Where is who?"

"That fuckin' Espada!" Renji glanced around and soon spotted a sleepy Grimmjow stumbling out of Ichigo's room rubbing his eyes with his left hand while dragging a struggling Kon by the tail with his other hand. "There he is."

"No, Renji!" Ichigo instantly stood between the red-head and Grimmjow as Renji drew Zabimaru; Ichigo finally noticed that Renji had no Gigai on.

"Move aside, Ichigo." Renji growled as he glared at the substitute Shinigami. "He's the enemy."

"He's a kid, Renji. He won't hurt anyone."

"Ichi-nii-san…" Grimmjow held onto Ichigo's left leg, having let go of Kon who took shelter near Rukia, as he stared up at the scowling red-head with wide eyes.

"It's okay." Ichigo picked Grimmjow up, glaring at Renji, before he handed the Espada to Chad. "Can you watch him for a sec?"

Chad nodded, staring down at Grimmjow with a small smile.

"Look, Renji." Ichigo turned back to the Shinigami. "I'm sure hat-and-clogs told you the story. I am watching Grimmjow until we can figure out a cure."

"What if his little friends come here, searching for him?" Renji asked, slowly sheathing Zabimaru as he watched Ichigo enter the kitchen.

"As far I know, they don't even know about his disappearance." Ichigo explained as he stared at the note taped on the fridge.

_Hey, Ichigo, went shopping with Yuzu. Karin is out with some friends. Come back soon. Love ya!_

_Isshin_

Ichigo scowled before he set about making himself and Grimmjow a bowl of cereal.

"Will you please put on a Gigai now?" Rukia asked as Uryu stared closely at Grimmjow.

"Interesting." The Quincy muttered, pushing up his glasses as Renji reluctantly put on the Gigai that the black-haired girl gave him. "He may be in a Gigai, but he still looks like an Espada."

Grimmjow, who had already formed a bond with Chad, bristled and growled when Uryu reached a hand toward him before he quickly bit the Quincy's hand when Uryu grabbed his shirt.

"Ouch!" Uryu pulled his hand back with a hiss as Grimmjow put his face against Chad's neck. "You little…!"

"Here." Orihime took the bespectacled boy's hand and set about healing him.

"Come here, Grimm." Ichigo said as he put a bowl of cereal on the table.

Grimmjow instantly hopped down from Chad's arms, the quiet brunette apparently disappointed, and ran toward the table while Uryu muttered angrily, "He broke the skin!"

Once Ichigo had put Grimmjow on a chair, he walked back to his friends with a bowl of cereal of his own.

"So what are you guys doing here?" He asked.

"Well, I was on my way to see Urahara when I met with Orihime, Uryu, and Chad." Rukia explained. "Then Renji showed up when he said he had felt a strong presence here. When we visited Kisuke he said it was probably Grimmjow's. He also said that Grimmjow was a kid ad you were taking care of him. Renji became mad and stormed off and we ended up here."

"You don't have to show me pictures of it." Ichigo sighed as Rukia put her drawings away. "I get it."

Renji glared at Grimmjow, who was happily eating his cereal. "He could be faking it. Waiting for us to drop our guards before he strikes."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "You're still on that? He's a kid with no memory of the Arrancars, Ren. Watch. Hey, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow looked at Ichigo.

"Who's Aizen?"

The Espada cocked his head to the side. "Ai…shen?"

"See?" Ichigo looked back at Renji. "Harmless."

Renji scoffed.

"He bit me!" Uryu growled, pointing g at the hand that Grimmjow had bitten.

"He doesn't like being touched by strangers." Ichigo explained, putting his bowl in the sink. "You got too close."

"Ichi-nii-san…" Grimmjow pulled on Ichigo's leg. "I'm bored…."

"Chad…." Ichigo pushed Grimmjow toward the shaggy-haired teen. "Entertain him."

Chad seemed to brighten up at this and crouched down in front of Grimmjow as Ichigo and the others headed into the living to sit down.

"Are you really certain about this, Ichigo?" Rukia questioned as Grimmjow and Chad began a game of hide-and-seek with Chad apparently it. "If the Soul Society finds out that you have an enemy, much less an Espada, they'll have you arrested and tried. If that happens, with Grimmjow as he is…"

"I'll make sure they don't find out." Ichigo said. "Renji, you won't tell will you?"

"What do you take me for?" Renji asked angrily. "Some kind of rat?"

"As long as we manage to keep his Reiatsu hidden, we should be all right." Uryu said as Chad began to look for the expertly hidden Grimmjow.

"But what if Byakuya comes?" Renji asked. "He's always the first to know these things."

"I'll keep him distracted." Rukia offered. "As long as it keeps Grimmjow safe. Besides, he's kinda cute right now."

"What about me, Rukia? !" Kon asked, suddenly leaping at the Shinigami but before she could even defend herself from the pod soul, Grimmjow took care of Kon by tackling him to the ground and snuggling him.

Chad crouched down in front of Grimmjow and lightly touched his shoulder. "You're it."

Grimmjow just stared at Chad, the hide-and-seek game already forgotten, as he held onto the violently struggling Kon.

"He won't be staying very long." Ichigo said. "Just until a cure or something is found for him."

"He seems okay." Rukia said with a nod as she looked around at the others who also nodded, agreeing whit Rukia's judgment.

Kon got fee of the Espada's grasp and ran off, but Grimmjow quickly grabbed his tail to stop him from getting too far away from him.

 _I guess…he's okay…_ Renji thought reluctantly as he watched Kon continue to try and run away but obviously failing. _…But I still don't trust him. Once an Espada, always an Espada._

Grimmjow laughed as he held onto Kon's tail, watching the stuffed animal's futile attempts to get free in amusement.

_Child or not._

The blue-haired Arrancar let go of Kon's tail, just to see what would happen, and laughed when the pod should sped into a nearby wall with a crash.

"Ow!" Kon yelped as he fell backward while everyone laughed at him.

 _He's an okay kid._ Renji thought, starting to warm up to the small Espada since he didn't really like Kon. _Maybe I'll give him a chance._


	6. Lost Within a Fair

Ichigo and Grimmjow were eating lunch one day during a weekend (Isshin had gone shopping again with Yuzu while Karin was with her friends) when someone knocked at the front door.

Before Ichigo could even answer it, the door was kicked opened and both Rukia and Renji stood dramatically at the threshold, both in Gigai, with Uryu, Chad, and Orihime in the background.

"What do you want?" Ichigo sighed, not in the mood for his friends to bother him.

"Get dressed, Ichigo!" Rukia said eagerly. "You're coming with us!"

Ichigo blinked, wondering what she was getting at.

"There's a fair in town!" Rukia held up a flyer. "Only for today too!"

"I was dragged along." Renji explained. "But I've always wanted to go to one of your human fairs so this was a good opportunity."

The others just said that they had been planning on heading to the fair anyway or that they had been forced by Rukia to come.

"I don't know." Ichigo said as he looked at Grimmjow who was still eating his lunch while watching everyone. "It might be too noisy for Grimmjow. He might not like it."

"….What's a fair?" Grimmjow finally asked.

"It's a fun place with a lot of rides and food and candy!" Rukia said, showing pictures of each item to emphasize her meaning.

Grimmjow seemed interested by her explanation and he looked at Ichigo.

"Can we go, Ichi-nii-san?"

Ichigo sighed, wanting really badly to say no, but he nodded reluctantly with a defeated look.

* * *

The air was heavy with the smell of greasy food and the loud voices of people enjoying themselves.

"Let's try to stay together." Ichigo said as he and the others entered the already crowded fair; he held onto Grimmjow's hand so he wouldn't lose the Arrancar. "I don't want anybody to get lost."

The others made agreements as they walked through the thick crowd, heading toward nowhere in particular.

Grimmjow looked around in awe at the different people he saw, the different scents he smelled, and the myriad of rides he saw; the Espada liked the fair.

"Let's go to this one…" Renji said as the group stopped near an empty area to look at a map so they could figure out where they wanted to go. "This ride looks fun."

"We should do some rides Grimmjow will like." Ichigo reminded as he released Grimmjow's hand, muttering a quick, "Stay there, Grimmjow" before pointing at the map. "This one."

"That's babyish!" Renji complained.

"I suggest we go on rides we'll all like." Uryu put in. "This one looks okay."

"Everybody loves the merry-go-round!" Orihime said happily.

"Fun house." Chad muttered.

Grimmjow ignored everyone as they began to argue over where to go and looked around, taking in all the sights.

A black swallowtail butterfly quietly flew past Grimmjow, unnoticed by the others, and the Espada stared after it.

It was a very pretty butterfly with fragile wings and a dark body.

Curiously, Grimmjow trotted after it and began pawing at it in an attempt to catch it while it tauntingly stayed out of his reach.

"All right, fine." Ichigo sighed. "We'll go there first then head to the merry-go-round and the fun house. Do we all agree on that?"

Everyone nodded, a few grumbling about the choice, but didn't dare disagree with Ichigo.

"Good. All right, Grimmjow-" Ichigo glanced down at the Espada only to see that Grimmjow wasn't beside him. "Grimmjow's gone!"

Everyone began to look around for the Arrancar as well as they panicked.

"Where'd he go?"

"He was just here a second ago!"

"Grimmjow? !"

* * *

Grimmjow continued trying to catch the butterfly and he finally managed it, holding it carefully between both hands and just to make sure he did capture it, he carefully opened his hands slightly, looking between the small gap he had made, only to open up his hands fully with a disappointed expression.

Somehow, the butterfly had managed to get free without the Arrancar realizing it.

Slightly frustrated, Grimmjow looked around as he realized that he was standing in a small clearing with several trees surrounding him; he hadn't even realized that he had wandered away from the fair.

"Ichi-nii-san!" Grimmjow called as he took a few steps forward and searched around for the orange-haired teen. "Ichi-nii-san!"

* * *

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo looked into a nearby stall where a game where you could win a goldfish was going on before he ducked back out as Orihime and the others trotted up to him. "Did you find him?"

The group shook their heads.

"Did anyone sense his Reiatsu?"

"Normally, it'd be distinctive due to his violent and destructive personality." Uryu said. "But now in the form he's in, his Reiatsu blends in with everyone else's."

"We have to find him." Ichigo said worriedly. "What if some weirdo picks him up?"

* * *

Stark lazily opened an eye, ignoring the spots of sunshine filtering through the leaves above him, when he heard soft crying. He thought it was a small animal calling for its parents and closed his eye as he decided to go back to his nap when he heard, "Ichi-nii-san, Ichi-nii-san" accompanied by the sobs.

Sighing, he sat up on the branch he was laying on before silently hopping to the grass below and strolling out into the nearby clearing as he yawned.

 _Some human probably lost its way…._ He thought, scratching his head before he stopped when he noticed a very familiar head of blue hair sitting in the grass a few feet away.

"Grimmjow…?"

The head turned toward him and Stark saw that it was indeed Grimmjow…only smaller.

He walked up to the boy and crouched in front of him before grabbing his chin and looking at the jaw-like bone structure on the boy's right cheek then lifting up his shirt slightly to discern a Hollow hole in the child's abdomen.

 _No doubt about it._ Stark thought as he released the child. _That's Grimmjow._

The small Grimmjow continued sniffling, staring at Stark with teary eyes.

_So what Szayel said about him fighting Hollows was a lie. Now why would he feel the need to lie when he can simply say Grimmjow's been turned into a child? Unless he's somehow involved in this._

"So, Grimmy, watcha doin' here in the human world?"

"I lost….Ichi-nii-san…."

Stark raised an eyebrow. "Ichi…nii-san?"

Grimmjow nodded, sniffling again, and was about to start crying when Stark quickly broke in.

"How about I help you find Ichi-nii-san?"

"Really?" Grimmjow seemed to perk up at that.

"Yeah. Where did you last see him?"

"We were….at a fair…"

"A fair?" Stark looked around, searching for Reiatsu and soon found several gathered at one spot.

_That must be it._

"All right, Grimmjow, will you come with me? I'll take you back to your Ichi-nii-san."

Grimmjow nodded and took Stark's hand and the two set off toward the fair.

* * *

Grimmjow stopped when he spotted a familiar orange head.

"Ichi-nii-san."

Stark glanced toward Ichigo and the others as he let go of Grimmjow's hand, the Espada running toward the teen, and backed up slightly as he merged with the crowd.

_It's him…_

"Ichi-nii-san!"

Ichigo and the others glanced up to see Grimmjow running toward them.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo picked up the Arrancar and hugged him. "Where were you? We were so worried!"

"I-I was chasing after a butterfly a-and I got lost!" Grimmjow buried his face in Ichigo's chest. "It was scary, Ichi-nii-san!"

"Well, the good thing is that you're back now." Ichigo pulled Grimmjow back slightly as he smiled before putting the Espada on his shoulders. "That's all that matters."

Grimmjow sniffled slightly before he grinned, glad that Ichigo wasn't mad at him.

 _Interesting._ Stark thought as he watched the group leave. _He acts like a normal child. I may have to speak with Szayel about this._

The Primera Espada opened up a Garganta before stepping through it as he headed back to Hueco Mundo.


	7. You'd Better Tell Aizen

Szayel hummed to himself as he worked on one of his many new experiments; he was still making experiments that he was sure would get the Shinigami off the Arrancar's backs.

The pink-haired scientist had forgotten about Grimmjow, his lie about the Espada fighting Hollows long gone from his mind.

 _No one's bothered me all day._ Szayel thought as he carefully poured two different colored liquids together. _Not that I disagree with the peace…_

There was a soft exhale of breath on the back of Szayel's neck, making the scientist jump and practically drop his new experiment, and Szayel whirled around to see Stark standing behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Szayel asked as he carefully set down the two beakers on the desk behind him before glowering at the Primera. "You're lucky I didn't drop those or we'd have been decimated."

Stark eyed the beakers. "What's in those?"

"Very sensitive exploding atoms. I was thinking we could use this to kill the Shinigami."

"You mean we throw it in their faces?"

"No. We kill them from the inside." Szayel grinned insanely as he glanced at the two beakers over his shoulder. "A big enough impact after they have ingested this, and it will be slipped into food or drink, will detonate the already unstable atoms. Boom." Szayel laughed while Stark blinked, obviously not as ecstatic as the scientist.

"And you're sure it won't backfire on us?" Stark asked.

Szayel twitched before he frowned and Stark took that as a no.

"Anyway, Szayel, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Talk with me?" Szayel looked at Stark, confused. "About what?"

"Grimmjow."

Szayel twitched slightly, but it was barely noticeable.

"What about him?"

"Where is he?"

"I thought I explained it to everyone. He's out fighting Hollows to get stronger."

"Oh, really?" Stark put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "So what would say if I saw a kid in the human world and he had a striking resemblance to Grimmjow; even down to the Hollow hole and the broken mask right about….here."

The Primera touched his right cheek near the jaw line.

"Just a coincidence." Szayel said nervously as he turned his back to Stark and continued with what he had previously been doing. "Probably some kid who saw Grimmjow one day and thought he looked cool or something and decided to cosplay as him."

"He also responded to the name Grimmjow."

Szayel's breath hitched slightly.

"What do you say about that, Szayelapporo?"

Szayel swallowed; Stark never used anyone's full name unless his patience was being tried.

"I keep telling you that he's out fighting Hollows." Szayel didn't looked at Stark as he tried to stop shaking; it was already scary lying to Aizen when he knew of the repercussions, but with Stark…

"Are you really sure about that?" Stark grabbed Szayel's wrist and turned the scientist around until his back was pressed against the desk. "You know what I think Grimmjow is really doing? I think he's in the human world, watched by that Ichigo boy, as a child with no memory of his 'past'. Now, I don't know if you turned him into a child on purpose or accident and dumped him into the human world, but you'd better tell Aizen what's really happened to Grimmjow."

Stark leaned closer to Szayel threateningly, his eyes serious.

"Or I will personally tell him about your lies."

Szayel winced and leaned away from Stark.

"Now don't you think it'd be an affront to Aizen if I tell him about the treachery of other Espada? So make your choice. You tell him yourself…"

Stark released Szayel with a slight shove. "Or I will."

Szayel watched as the brown-haired Espada walked out of his lab.

"It's your choice."

Szayel whimpered as he weakly slide to the ground.

_You'd better tell Aizen. Or I'll do it myself._


	8. Sugarhigh Espada

"I want you to watch Grimmjow while I'm away at school today." Ichigo said to Isshin as he got ready for school one Monday. "He's still asleep right now but he should be up and about at about ten. Give him breakfast then."

"I think I know how to take care of a kid." Isshin said as he watched his son grab a lunch box.

Ichigo looked at him skeptically before he walked toward the front door with a wave.

"Later."

"Bye son!" Isshin happily waved as the front door shut. "Have a fun day at school!"

* * *

It was a pretty easy day working at the clinic with people only coming in every so often, usually with minor injuries like a strained ankle or cut hand.

Isshin lazed around most of the time when he had no customers, waiting for Grimmjow to wake up.

"Ichi-nii-san, Ichi-nii-san…"

 _Right on cue._ Isshin sat up as a sleepy Grimmjow stumbled into the main clinic, obviously searching for Ichigo.

"Good morning, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow stopped. "Where's Ichi-nii-san?"

"He's at school."

"….School?" Grimmjow tilted his head slightly to the side in confusion.

 _Ah, right. He doesn't know….._ "It's a place where you learn. He'll be back in a few hours."

Grimmjow seemed disappointed as he headed to a nearby table and sat down and sulked.

 _Wow, he's really bummed Ichi's not here._ Isshin thought as he watched Grimmjow. _He may be an Espada, but I can't stand seeing him sad._

"Ichigo won't like it if you sulk. If you don't sulk all day, I'll give you a reward."

Grimmjow glanced at Isshin before he laid his head on the table and gave a depressed sigh.

_Okay, that did nothing._

"Here." Isshin put a can of coke in front of the pouting Arrancar along with a package of rock candy. "Just stop sulking."

Grimmjow stared at the two items before he took a small sip of the coke and, apparently liking it, continued drinking it.

"Good boy."

"Excuse me…."

"Coming~!" Isshin trotted off toward the front door as Grimmjow continued drinking the coke and eating some of the rock candy.

* * *

Ichigo was just about to open the front door (Ignoring the fact that Isshin hadn't shown up to attack him yet) when he stopped as he heard crashing and yelling on the other side.

"Stop it, Grimm-get down from there! Hold still already! No, not the couch!"

There was insane giggling followed by more crashes.

Concerned, Ichigo immediately opened the door to see Isshin chasing after Grimmjow who was wildly running around the house.

"What did you do to him?" Ichigo asked, watching as Isshin managed to catch Grimmjow and was tightly holding onto him.

"I just gave him something to stop him from sulking about your absence!" Isshin yelped and dropped Grimmjow when the Arrancar bit him. "A few minutes later, he started acting like this!"

"What did you give him? !" Ichigo quickly shut the front door when Grimmjow made a beeline toward it.

"Just a can of coke and a stick of rock candy."

Ichigo slapped his forehead. "You idiot! Don't you know you don't give kids sugar? !"

"Really?"

"Yes! Or they'll get on a sugar high!"

"Ooh…" Isshin said in realization as he watched Grimmjow frantically try and find an exit out of the house. "Well, I know that now."

Isshin grinned.

Ichigo face palmed himself with a groan as a practically hyperventilating Espada sped past him.


	9. One Order I Can't Follow

"We have heard that Grimmjow is in the human world." Toshiro said coolly. "However he is a child."

"Now how did that occur?" Shunsui asked.

"Unknown."

"Interesting." Mayuri smiled, a plan already forming in his mind.

"It does not matter whether he's a child or not." Yamamoto said. "An Espada is an Espada. Kenpachi."

"Yeah?" The scarred Shinigami asked.

"Since Byakuya is not here, you shall gather the Arrancar."

Kenpachi grinned. "Force?"

"Yes. If necessary."

"Cool."

* * *

Isshin played hide-and-seek tag with Grimmjow while they waited for Ichigo to return home from school.

Isshin stopped in mid-chase after he had found the Espada under the table and looked toward the front door which had been closed a few moments before.

Grimmjow looked around the couch and saw Isshin laying on the floor. Thinking he was taking a nap, Grimmjow trotted over to him and began shaking him in an attempt to get him up.

"So what they said was true."

Grimmjow glanced beside him to see Kenpachi standing a few feet away obviously not in a Gigai.

Kenpachi blinked, then the Arrancar blinked.

"You're coming with me, kid."

Grimmjow cocked his head to the side.

"Don't make me force ya."

Grimmjow blinked, still not moving.

"All right, you asked for it." Kenpachi picked the Espada up and Grimmjow immediately began to struggle and wail.

"Hold still! Don't make me knock ya out, you damn bastard!"

* * *

"Whoa…Kenpachi, what happened to you?" Jushiro asked.

Kenpachi scowled, holding an unconscious Grimmjow by the back of the shirt.

"Are those bite marks?" Jushiro stared at the red marks on the 11th Division Captain's neck and shoulders.

"This damn kid kept bitin' me!" Kenpachi growled as he dropped the Arrancar. "And clawin' me too!"

"Poor Kenny!" Yachiru hopped on Kenpachi's back.

"So what are we gonna do with him?" Toshiro looked at Yamamoto.

"We could use him as ransom." Shunsui suggested. "You know, tell Aizen if he doesn't want Grimmjow killed, he'll give up."

"Aizen wouldn't care if we killed one of his followers." Yamamoto said. "He would merely find a new one."

"We could experiment on him." Mayuri said gleefully as he stared at Grimmjow. "He'd make a good test subject."

"That's your own twisted way." Toshiro growled.

"No, that may be a good idea!" Shunsui said. "If we found a way to turn Aizen and the other Arrancar into kids, we could kill them that way."

"They could not be tried." Yamamoto explained. "Without memory, they wouldn't know what they did."

Shunsui sulked slightly.

"Let's just kill the brat." Kenpachi said. "He's still an Arrancar, memory or not."

"That is true." Yamamoto sighed. "And one of the most violent. Kuchiki."

Byakuya, who had just entered the room, paused.

"Yes, Yamamoto-sama?"

"I have a job for you."

* * *

"Hey, dad, I'm ho-"

"He's gone!"

Ichigo stopped when his dad abruptly rushed up to him.

"Huh?"

"Grimmjow's gone!"

"What?"

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo looked behind him to see Rukia, Renji, Uryu, and Orihime.

"What is it?"

"Kenpachi's Reiatsu." Rukia said. "He's got Grimmjow. They went to the Soul Society."

* * *

Grimmjow blinked as he stared up at Byakuya, who had Zenbonzakura drawn by his side.

Byakuya was charged with the order of executing Grimmjow.

But the noble couldn't do it.

Grimmjow was a kid.

Sure, he was an Arrancar, but he was in child form with no memory.

Byakuya couldn't kill a kid.

The sixth division captain sighed as he lowered Zenbonzakura before sheathing it.

 _I know I'm going to regret this._ He thought as he knelt down, picking up Grimmjow.

"Come on, let's take you to Kurosaki and the others."

* * *

"We'd better hurry." Ichigo said as he and the others ran through the Rukon district. "Who knows what they're going to do to Grimmjow."

The group stopped however when Byakuya appeared in front of them, carrying Grimmjow who was lightly pulling at the clips in the noble's hair.

"Byakuya."

Byakuya said nothing as he set Grimmjow on the ground, the Espada immediately running over to Ichigo.

Ichigo bent down and gathered Grimmjow in his arms, quickly checking him over, before he looked at Rukia's brother.

"Why?"

"It would weigh too heavily on my mind if I killed a child, even if it were an Espada or any other enemy. This was one order I could not follow." Byakuya turned his back to the group. "Now leave before they realize you are here."

As the noble began to walk away, Renji suddenly stepped forward.

"T-thank you, Byakuya taichou!"

Byakuya paused, glancing over his shoulder, before he motioned for Renji to come closer to him, the other hesitantly doing so.

When Renji was a few feet away, Byakuya whispered something to him before taking out one of his hair clips and clipping it into Renji's hair and then continuing on his way.

"What was that about?" Ichigo asked as Renji walked back to the group.

"None of your business." Renji smiled as he walked past Ichigo.

Ichigo stared after him before he shrugged and looked down at Grimmjow.

"Come on, let's go home."

Grimmjow grinned as the group returned to Karakura Town.


	10. I Knew Before Any of You

Szayel was figuring out how to tell Aizen what had really happened to Grimmjow. Every idea he had would either get him killed, banished, or…killed. Yeah, Szayel did not like those options.

He eventually decided to heck with it, he'd lived a good life, and went up to Aizen after dinner one night to talk with him.

"I have something to tell you, Master Aizen."

Aizen raised an eyebrow as he sat back in his chair. "And what would that be, Szayelapporo?"

"It's about Grimmjow. I have not been….entirely truthful about his whereabouts."

"Are you saying that you lied to me?"

"…Yes."

Aizen didn't show a flicker of emotion as he interlocked his fingers. "So, where exactly is Grimmjow if not fighting Hollows?"

"He is…in the hands of the Vizard Ichigo and is also…."

"A child?"

Szayel started slightly. "How did-"

"I knew before any of the others. It was suspicious when you were coming out of your lab and looking around like you were fearing you were about to get caught. I thought it was nothing when I saw it, but when I heard of Grimmjow's disappearance, I thought different. And you also lost Grimmjow before you went to the human world, correct? I saw him in the hallway while you were talking to Ulquiorra and Yammy. After that, it was simple math about his whereabouts and I merely went along with your story so as not to alert the others."

"I'm sorry, Master Aizen!" Szayel quickly bowed, still fearing punishment.

"Make a cure."

Szayel glanced up in surprise. "What-"

"Your punishment is to create a cure that will turn Grimmjow back to normal. Meanwhile…Ulquiorra."

The silent Espada immediately appeared beside the brunette's side.

"Yes, Master Aizen?"

"Head to the human world to retrieve Grimmjow. Use force if the Shinigami refuses, but you are not there to kill."

"Of course, Master Aizen."

* * *

Ichigo watched from the sidelines as Yuzu, Karin, and Grimmjow played around in the small kiddy pool that Isshin had set up; it was almost ninety degrees that day even though it was mid-spring so Isshin had thought it was a good time to get out the pool even if only for a day.

Before Grimmjow had even gotten into his swimming trunks-they were blue with black kittens on them-Ichigo made sure that the Espada's Hollow hole was hidden well and wouldn't be able to be seen by Isshin or his sisters.

Of course, Ichigo refused to get into the water and merely watched while his father sat nearby, happily eating a slice of watermelon; where he got such a thing, Ichigo decided not to ask.

Grimmjow stopped in his playing and glanced at Ichigo, his gaze disappointed. He had been doing that often, looking at the teenager with a pathetic stare almost as if he were sad that Ichigo wasn't joining him, but he soon got distracted when Yuzu or Karin splashed him and he resumed playing with the twins.

Ichigo sighed as he rested his chin in his right hand, not taking his eyes off the trio.

 _It's weird how I've gotten used to seeing Grimmjow like this, acting like a normal human. It's almost been a month since he's been here, hasn't it? I wonder how long he's gonna stay like that._ Ichigo frowned a little. _I don't think I'd want him to leave._

"Ichi-nii-san! Ichi-nii-san!"

Ichigo was startled out of his thinking to see Grimmjow pulling lightly on his arm.

"What is it, Grimmjow?" He asked as he looked down at the small Espada with a small smile.

"Can I give you a present?" Grimmjow tilted his head slightly to the side as he smiled.

"….A present?" Ichigo repeated. "What for?"

"I wanna give you a present!"

"All right, all right. What's the present."

"You have to close your eyes; it's a surprise." Grimmjow grinned childishly.

Ichigo became slightly suspicious; kid or not, Grimmjow asking him to shut his eyes did not bode well. However, the pleading expression got to the teenager and he slowly shut his eyes with a sigh, hoping that he wasn't making a mistake.

Grimmjow smiled and pressed his lips to Ichigo's cheek, surprising the teen into opening his eyes. The Arrancar pulled back with a pout. "No peekies!"

Hesitantly, Ichigo closed his eyes once more and Grimmjow kissed him on the cheek again before hopping up and hugging him around the neck.

"I love you, Ichi-nii-san." the blue-haired Espada whispered before he jumped down and ran back toward Karin and Yuzu while Ichigo stared after him, unsure of how to react.

The teen glanced at Isshin, who was staring at him with a smile.

"What?"

Isshin just gave a chuckle as he smiled leeringly. "You just lost your first kiss to a kid."

"You're a perverted, old man!" Ichigo growled as he kicked his father before looking away with a grumble as he pouted.

Yuzu, Karin, and Grimmjow laughed as Isshin whined and rubbed his sore side while Ichigo growled at him and bristled defensively.

_**I love you, Ichi-nii-san.** _

_Is he serious?_

* * *

Ulquiorra stepped out of a Garganta and gazed around at the town spread out below him.

"So, where are you, Grimmjow?"


	11. He Is To Come With Me

Ichigo and the others were eating breakfast one day when there was a polite, but hesitant knock on the front door.

"Who's that?" Isshin asked as Ichigo stood up and walked toward the front door.

"Dunno." The teen answered as he opened the door only to be surprised at who he saw. In a Gigai. "Ulquiorra."

"Grimmjow is here." The Espada said. "He is to return to Las Noches with me."

Ichigo glanced back at Grimmjow, who was watching him curiously, before he looked back at the Cuatro Espada. "Aizen sent you to get him?"

Ulquiorra nodded.

"Can…." Ichigo gave another quick glance at the Sexta Espada. "Can he stay a few more days with us?"

"That is not possible. He is to return immediately so that Szayel may administer a cure."

"Will he remember?"

"Possibly not."

Ichigo sighed, deciding that it was better if he didn't get in a battle, and once again looked back at Grimmjow.

"Grimm, can you come here?"

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow, but decided against asking as Grimmjow trotted up to the orange-haired teen and Ichigo picked him up.

"This man is going to take you to the pink-haired man."

Grimmjow perked up, glancing at Ulquiorra. "Really?"

"Yes. But that means goodbye for now."

Grimmjow frowned slightly as he thought it over before he looked at Ichigo sadly. "I won't be able to see you?"

"Not for a while."

The blue-haired Espada continued contemplating before he suddenly put his lips against Ichigo's and stared at the teen seriously.

"But I'll come back to visit you, Ichi-nii-san. I promise."

It was strange to see a five-year-old act so serious and Ichigo swore he saw older Grimmjow in the young one's eyes before he nodded.

"I'll be waiting then, Grimm."

Grimmjow smiled brightly and Ichigo slowly handed the young Arrancar to Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra stared at the Espada before he looked back at Ichigo, gave a slight nod of appreciation, and walked away with Grimmjow waving goodbye over the Cuatro's shoulder.

Ichigo waved back before he sighed.

"It's better this way." Isshin said as he put a hand on the teen's shoulder. "You knew that we couldn't keep him forever."

"I know. But I was hoping that we would have at least been able to keep him another month or so."

"I'm sure you were." Isshin nodded before he headed back to the table. "Come on, finish breakfast and head to school."

Ichigo stared after the spot where the two Espada had disappeared before he gradually closed the front door and walked back toward the table.

 _I miss him already._ The teen thought miserably. _Next time we meet….he won't even remember what happened; we'll be back to being enemies._

Ichigo pulled out a small photo from his back pocket and looked at it; it was a picture that had been taken by Isshin of himself holding a young Grimmjow and both of them were smiling. The orange-haired teen smiled a little.

_But I won't forget. I'll always have these precious memories of my 'enemy.' Maybe deep down he'll remember too._

* * *

"Good to have you back, Grimm!" Stark said as he walked past the Sexta Espada.

"Huh?" Grimmjow stared after him in confusion. "What do ya mean?"

"Ah, nothing! Later."

Grimmjow blinked before he shrugged, deciding that it was Stark and he was always weird. The blue-haired Espada suddenly looked at his right hand and noticed a small blue flower with it stem tied around his pinkie.

"Where'd I get this flower?"

" _Now, this is a Forget-me-not flower, Grimm. It's meaning is Forever thinking about you. Got it?"_

_"Forever thinking about you…."_

_"That's right. I'm gonna tie it around your pinkie so that you always remember me and I'll do the same so that I'll always remember you. We'll never forget each other."_

_"Really…?"_

_"Really really."_

_"Wow!"_

Grimmjow furrowed his brows a little as he thought about the strange thought that had come into his head before he smelled the flower and found that it smelled of him; faint, but still the small of cinnamon, copper and…strawberries.

The Espada gazed toward the ceiling as he smiled a little.

"Can't believe I almost forgot …."

" _We'll always be together, right, Ichi-nii-san?"_

_"…Yeah, Grimmjow. We'll always be together."_

" _I love you, Ichi-nii."_

"… _.Love you, too."_

_"I'll come back to visit you, Ichi-nii-san. I promise."_

_I should keep my promise..._


	12. Thanks, Shinigami

Ichigo had begun to miss the young Grimmjow. It made him wish that he had fought a bit harder to keep Grimmjow from returning to Hueco Mundo with Ulquiorra.

 _It's quiet without him._ Ichigo thought as he got out of bed and headed toward the kitchen, Yuzu saying good morning when she saw him. _The next time I see him, we'll probably be fighting._

There was a soft knock on the front door and Ichigo went to answer it only to have his breath hitch at who he saw.

"Who is it, Ichigo?" Yuzu asked as she continued cooking breakfast.

"Just….Rukia." The teen lied as he stepped outside. "I'll be back in a few."

Ichigo shut the door behind him and settled his gaze on the person in front of him.

"So, what are you doing here…Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow glanced away as he rubbed the back of his neck before he looked back at Ichigo.

"I could ask you the same thing, Shinigami."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, you need that talking animal trash to get to your reaper form, right? You have no power, no Zangetsu. That Kuchiki chick probably hasn't even sensed me yet. I, on the other hand, have Pantera with me."

The Espada placed a hand on his sword's hilt as he leaned closer to Ichigo, the teen unconsciously stepping back until his back hit the door.

"I could kill you right now if I wanted to."

"But you won't."

Grimmjow started slightly at the answer.

"You came here to talk about something, not fight."

Grimmjow stared at the teen before he laughed.

"You're correct, Shinigami. I have no intention to fight. I came here to say…."

The blue-haired Arrancar straightened as he backed up slightly, looking away.

"Well, wh-when I was kid….I mean, you took me in. You didn't have ta. Could've just let me die. I'm your enemy and you took care of me like I was your family….so, why I'm here…..I guess…"

Grimmjow nervously scratched his mask and Ichigo was surprised to see the normally fearless Arrancar so afraid to speak his mind.

"I just wanted to say…"

Grimmjow glanced at Ichigo before he looked away again as a faint blush crossed his face.

"Thanks, Shinigami."

"You're thanking me?" Ichigo questioned in surprise.

"What, you don't want me to?" Grimmjow glared faintly at Ichigo.

"No…no, I'm just surprised…."

"Don't get used to it. It's a one-time thing."

"Well, um….then you're welcome…."

"I also wanted to…" Grimmjow averted his gaze as he rubbed the back of his neck. "To say…."

The Espada got a 'screw it' look on his face as he stepped closer to Ichigo, the orange-haired teen pressing his back against the door as far as he could, and placed his hands on either side of Ichigo's head.

"This is sort of a weird feeling for me….sorry…" Grimmjow leaned even closer to Ichigo until the teen could feel the bluenette's breath on his mouth. "Just tell me if you want me to stop…."

Grimmjow suddenly pulled back, gazing skyward, and muttered a curse under his breath before tapping his forehead against his Ichigo's, rubbing their noses briefly before dragging his nose up to Ichigo's forehead before fully pulling away.

"See you later, Berry." He whispered before he leapt away just as Rukia, Chad, Uryu, and Orihime showed up.

"Are you okay, Ichigo?" Rukia asked as the group came closer to the stunned teenager. "We felt Grimmjow's presence. Was he here? Did he do anything?"

"He just came to say thank you…." Ichigo said slowly, trying to figure out what had just happened as he slid to the ground in shock.

"Ichigo!" Rukia gasped.

"Ichigo?" Orihime asked as everyone gathered around the speechless teen.

* * *

Kisuke laughed hysterically as he hit the table with his hand.

"It's not funny." Grimmjow growled, bristling angrily from his position across from the shopkeeper.

Kisuke continued laughing, falling on his back and kicking his legs in the air.

"Hey, shut up!" Grimmjow stood up, unsheathing Pantera, but before he could even jump at Kisuke, Tessai grabbed him under the arms and held onto the struggling Espada.

"Let me go you bastard!" Grimmjow furiously kicked his legs and waved Pantera around in an attempt to get free. "Let me go!"

"This is just too funny!"

"He's laughing at my feelings! I'm serious, you bitch!"Kisuke abruptly became quiet as he sat up and his expression turned stern.

Tessai set Grimmjow down when Kisuke made a motion for him to and Grimmjow glared at the man before he sheathed his sword.

"You have come to me for your…problem?" Kisuke asked.

"This is the first time I've ever felt this way."

"How far are you wiling to go for these feelings….?"

"I'm never gonna stop till he wants it." Grimmjow glanced away as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm moving to my heart this time."

Kisuke nodded as he smiled. "Well, then, why don't you go over there and tell him? I still have that Gigai if you want it."

Grimmjow gave a low chuckle. "Could I handle more rejection?"

"You never know."

Grimmjow glanced at Kisuke before he smirked."Why start looking before I leap now?"

* * *

Everyone looked toward the door when someone knocked and Rukia went to answer it with Renji, Uryu, Chad, and Orihime behind her while Ichigo stayed in the kitchen (Isshin, Yuzu, and Karin had left earlier for some reason).

Grimmjow raised his hands with a blank expression as two swords were pointed at his throat as Chad transformed his right arm, Uryu readied his ethereal bow, and Orihime also got ready to attack.

"I come in peace." Grimmjow said coolly, not phased by all the weapons around him.

When the others didn't back down, the Espada sighed.

"Look." Grimmjow slowly grabbed Pantera (The Gigai did still have problems, so Grimmjow still looked like himself and not more human-like) and dropped the sword to the floor before lightly kicking it farther away from him. "See? I just want to talk with Ichigo."

"You can let him pass, guys." Ichigo sighed as he stood up. "He's not gonna hurt anyone."

The others reluctantly backed down and Grimmjow walked toward Ichigo.

"Told you I'd see you later, berry." Grimmjow smirked.

"You already said thank you." Ichigo said. "What more do you want?"

"What we didn't finish." Grimmjow took a step closer to the teen and the others tensed, tightening their grips on their weapons.

"And what was that?" Ichigo asked as he backed up until his back touched the counter.

"This…." Grimmjow placed his hands on the counter as he leaned closer to the orange-haired boy until their lips were almost touching. "Now….just tell me if you want me to stop…"

Ichigo allowed the Espada to kiss him, neither accepting nor rejecting the gesture, before he tilted his head up slightly as he tentatively deepened the kiss. He became surprised though when the Arrancar pulled back.

"Slow, Ichi, slow. Not that kind."

Ichigo became confused at the response.

"What, you think I'm the 'all-I-want-is-your-body' lover? Nah." Grimmjow put his face against Ichigo's neck. "I'm a bit more affectionate than that."

"I-I didn't even say that I love you, Grimmjow."

"But you didn't say no neither." The Arrancar stared at Ichigo. "You're the first person to make me feel like I'm alive."

Ichigo stared back at Grimmjow and he soon realized that he did like the blue-haired Espada. "I do like you, Grimmjow, but…."

"No thoughts." Grimmjow leaned closer to Ichigo before he kissed him. "I love you, 'Ichi-nii-san'."

Ichigo chuckled slightly. "You're a bit older than me, Grimmjow…."

"Who cares?" Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "It's become a habit."

Ichigo smiled as he wrapped his arms around the Arrancar's waist. "Then, I love you, Grimmy."


End file.
